Friday Favs…drying rack decor

When the Hubs and I were out doing errands a few weeks ago I asked him to take me by the feed store before we went home because I needed to buy some chicken wire.  (Yes, because Portland is surrounded by small communities and rural areas there is a feed store here in the city!)

After looking at me like I had finally lost my mind he asked me something to the effect of, “What are you up to now?”

To which I replied something to the effect of, “Oh, I just have a little project up my sleeve.”

Good guy that he is, he took me to the feed store.

I was thinking that you can buy chicken wire by the yard, you know, like fabric at the fabric store.  Uhhh, no you can’t.  You have to buy a roll of it.  And let me tell you, unrolling it is like wrestling a very pokey octopus.  Maybe there’s a chicken wire “buy it by the yard” place and a better way to unroll and cut it that I’m not privy too. 

Anyway, my project idea involved a little drying rack, (another Goodwill find), and the aforementioned chicken wire and a staple gun.  I didn’t bargain for two things…the unruliness of the chicken wire, and the hardness of the wood that the drying rack was made of.  The staples bent rather than penetrated the wood.  I was about to give up, and actually felt frustrated to the point of tears.  This project had cost more in time, effort and money, (because of having to buy a whole roll of chicken wire), than I had bargained for.  Surprisingly, the Hubs, the one who does not always “get” my weird creative frenzies, or rustic décor tendencies, said, “Don’t give up!  You need to follow through and finish when you have an idea.”  That gave me the encouraging boost I needed.  A hammer and some upholstery tacks did the trick where the staples failed.  And now, a long empty wall where the hallway meets my living room has a little somethin’  hanging on it.

 

Happy Friday Everyone!

Oh, and if you are in desperate need of some chicken wire, I’m your gal!

Elizabeth

 

Simple pleasure…the show before the fireworks

This was the view the Hubs and I had fourth of July evening as we waited for the fireworks to begin.

These are taken from Mt. Tabor park looking west toward downtown Portland.

All shots are straight from the camera, unedited.

When it finally became dark we could see not only the fireworks display from downtown,

but fireworks from several neighboring communities.

However, the pre-fireworks show that God put on was the highlight of the evening.

 

Still following,

Elizabeth

Friendship in a box…

 

I once was offered relationship in a box

An offer of friendship that came with a hand written list of expectations

And me, hungry for relationship, overlooked that this just wasn’t normal

And let her schedule our times together

Two friends on a day in the city became a regimented list of things to do

There is no heart-knowing in a friendship like that

I come to God in the morning, coffee cup in hand, my list printed out

Pray for these people, check

Recite these verses, check

Read this portion, check

My heart withers dry and longs for the heart-knowing

Longs to explore His Beauty untethered

The happiest memories are with Bible and journal sitting on a rock by the sea

Or at a lovely park, or on a lawn chair in the sun

The list forgotten, just enjoying Presence

But I too easily return to the box and the list and the rule keeping mindset

When inside I just want to walk with Him by the sea

My heart withers dry and longs for the heart-knowing

Longs to explore His beauty untethered

Longs to drink deep of Living Water

 

 

Still following,

Elizabeth

Shenango China, another thrift store find!

I’ve never been much of a thrift store, yard sale lover, but three things have begun to change my mind.

The first is reading blogs.  So many décor bloggers find wonderful, unique things for their homes at thrift stores and yard sales.  (Sometimes they find hideous things and turn them into wonderful things!)

Second, has been going to antique stores, and seeing things there that I knew could be found thrifting if you are diligent to look. (Of course, I still love to shop at my favorite Monticello Antiques and Camas Antiques!)

Lastly, has been my own success at finding English Ironstone and assorted other treasures once I did start thrifting.  A few treasures and I’m quickly becoming a convert!

All that to say this.  A big, shiny, brand new Goodwill Superstore opened not too far from me.  Opening day you’d have thought it was the social event of the season.  It was crowded!  However, I did find a few inexpensive treasures to buy.  I bought the clock and the bottle you see in the photo in yesterday’s post, and three vintage plates. 

Using the three plates I rearranged some things on the wall above my couch.  Now instead of “it’s okay”, it feels “just right”.  I love when that happens.

Before:

After:

Was I ever pleased to discover that these plates are Shenango US Navy-Wardroom Officer China and usually sell for well over $20 each.  I paid $1.99.  I liked their look enough to get them regardless of what they are worth, (they add to the beach cottage touches I have here and there), but it does tickle me to know I got a great deal.

I also traded places with the vintage tapestry in the first photo for this mirror, then rearranged some things on the shelf. (I had already painted the paddle a couple weeks ago.) 

Like I said, I’m really pleased with my bargain and these simple changes.

 

Still following,

Elizabeth

A photo challenge…

To creatively include three some way in our photo was part of this week’s Texture Tuesday challenge.

How about 3 o’clock?

or

3 yellow flowers?

or

3 café au lait bowls?

or

3 strawberries spilling out of the bowl?

or

all of the above!

 

 

        On this photo I used Kim’s canvas back texture at multiply 100% opacity.

 

Still following,

Elizabeth

Sunday ritual…

The morning was overcast, but sometime during lunch the clouds blew away.

The sky is blue, with just a few feathery cirrus clouds remaining.

The house is quiet except for the soft sound of the clothes dryer downstairs.

The sun shines through the slats of the window shade, making lines of light on the blue and white comforter and the white sheets.

I sit with laptop, Hubs reads his book.

I smile recalling the summer week gone by…a family reunion, a meeting with a hurting family in our congregation, our weekly prayer gathering, baby granddaughter sleeping over, grilling dinner out on the deck, making homemade ice cream, a church picnic, Sunday morning worship.

The sun is getting lower in the sky outside our east facing bedroom window. 

The light is turning golden.

I open the little green book where I jot my thanks during the week, and end my Sunday as I have for over a year now, typing out my gratitude list, sharing the blessings.

my continuing gratitude list #1210-#1222

-a family reunion with all but one of my siblings, and some nieces and nephews and their families

-visiting late into the evening around my sister’s backyard fire pit,

inventing and trying different variations of s’mores

-homemade strawberry milkshakes

-seeing God’s grace at work in our family

-sister time

-getting the giggles

-God helping us, giving us wisdom, giving us insight, giving us others who are strong where we are weak

-Great prayer time, with some visitors from last week’s neighborhood outreach showing up too

-baby granddaughter sleepover {aka “The Misadventures of a Not Quite All The Way Potty Trained Two Year Old”-It went something like this: we read books about being the big sister and having a new baby coming, we run to the bathroom with her as she yells “Hurry, Hurry”, we change her undies, we read her favorite book about a frog, seeing a funny look on her face we run to the bathroom with her, we change her undies, we grill outside and while Papa is cooking she dumps a whole bottle of bubbles for blowing out on the deck, we hose off the bubbles, oops, a potty accident on the deck, we hose it off again, we change her undies, we eat dinner, we sample my homemade chocolate mint ice cream, bath time, we’re relieved to put her back into a diaper for the night, all clean and in her pajamas she snuggles and watches Despicable Me for the one billionth time, she wakes up after the whole night dry! YaY!,  saying, “I yike,(like),my mommy” meaning, “It’s been fun, but I want to go home now.”}

-church picnic

-freedom to worship

-buying fresh, local strawberries

-homemade strawberry smoothies

 

Gratefully yours,

Elizabeth

Happy Fourth of July!

If my people…

 

Still following,

Elizabeth